A healthy beginning for Latina mothers

A power outage last night left Centro de Ayuda dark and warm to say the least, but it was hardly enough to deter the giggles and excitement of the Latina "mamas-to-be."

Anne Arundel Medical Center's weekly Comenzando Bien class at the Forest Drive center includes a home cooked dinner, answers to all pregnancy queries and a little help bridging the cultural gap for Latina women having their first babies in the United States.

"This is a great cultural experience for the hospital," said Terri Dayney-Smith, a birth instructor at the medical center. "A bridge is being crossed from the Hispanic community that allows them...